Apparatus for manipulating railway-car brakes



" June 2v, 1925 A. F. KLASING l AlPARATUS FOR MANIPULATING RAILWAY CAR BRAKES Filed Oct. 8, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet l A. F. KLASING APPARATUS FOR MANIPULATING RAILWAY CAR BRAKES June 2, 1925.

Filed Oct. 8, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 o A R cri ' leased manually.

plied with manually operated brake mecha- 'a hump yard.

Patented June' 1925..

iiNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AoGUs'rUs F. KLASING, OF CHICAGO, TLLINOIS', Ass'ICrNORl 'ro THE KLAsING CAR BRAKE COMPANY, A CORPORATION on COLORADO.

APPARATUS FOR MANIPULAEIING RAILWAY-CAR BRAKES. f

Application led October 8, 1920. Serial No. 415,572.

at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and 'useful Improvements in Apparatus for Manipulating Railway-Car Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway car brake mechanisms and vparticularly to manually operated apparatus for applying and releasing the brakes of a railway car, for example, a freight car, in switching or on other occa.- sions when the brakes are applied and re- All railway cars are supnism in addition to the air brake mechanism.

- The manually operated apparatus is of special importance in connection with freight cars on which the air brake mechanism is not employed when the cars are being switched. The hand braking mechanism, consisting of a brake staif around which the brake chainl is wound and operated by a hand wheel, With which freight cars are usually provided, is not suiiiciently powerful, is slow of operation, uncertain in its functioning, and requires the use of both hands of the brakeman in operating then same, thereby causing accidents because of the insecure hold which he has. on the car, besides resulting in damage to cars and cargoes through collision. This mechanism', which is inherently objectionable for the foregoing reasons, is rendered entirely inadequateat the present time, because of the increasing weight of the modern freightcars and the speed they attain in switching, especially in One of the objects of my invention is to provide novel and improved apparatus for quickly removing slack from `and applying greatpower to the brakes,.as they are being set and which will be simple, strong and u compact, and will not berendered inoperat1ve because of ice, snow',` cmders, and theI like.

A further object is to provide in apparatus of this character, means for maintaining Y the brakes in set position, which means may itself be set to release the brakes and which will be automatically reset to operative. position after the brakes have been released.

The invention consists in the novel constructions, combinations and devices to 'be hereinafter described and claimed, for carrying out the above statedobjects and such other objects as will appear from the following description. f

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an elevation of the end portion of a box car,l to which the manuallyoperated apparatus has been applied.

Fig. 2 is a ,vertical section taken along the line'2-2 of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 4--4 of Fig. 3 and illustrating the interior of the housing of the apparatus. s

Fig. 5 is a plan section taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Like characters ofF reference designate like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

The brake apparatus of my invention may be applied to various types of'railway cars. The preferred form of the invention herein disclosed is illustrated as installed upon a box car. InFig. 1, 10 designates the body of the car,.to the end wall 11 of which the brake apparatusis attached. The brake apparatus consists of a mechanism generally4 designated as 12 for manually applying power, a tension rod 18, a transmission device 14 for transmitting the powerv to the brakes through the chain 15 and also in the embodiment shown, acting to quickly remove the slack from the apparatus prior to the contact -of the brake shoes with the wheels.

It is obvious that any other suitable form of transmission device may be employed in place of the transmission device .14, herein illustrated, the results accomplished depending .upon the particular type of transmission device employed. For instance, a simple bell crank would properly transmit the ,ten- 100 1 the surface 18. j the reverse action takes place.

sion from the tension rod to the chain 15, though without accomplishing the additional quick takeup of which the transmission device 14 herein illustrated is capable. This device consists of a. rolling lever bell crank 16, to one end 17 of which the tension rod 13 is connected. The opposite member of the bell crank is constructed in the form of a winding surface 18 upon of the gear sector 21 and which are adapted,

to slide within the inclined slots or guideways 23 on opposite sides of the bell crank, the function of these guide-'ways being to hold the sector in mesh with the rack. As

the end 17 of the bell crank is moved upwardly in applying the brakes the bell crank rocks-upon the inclined rack 19 and moves downwardly and away from the brakes and at the same time winds the chain upon On the release of the brakes The power applying mechanism 12 consists of alhousing 24 secured by means of lugs 25 to the body of the car. The inner and outer walls of the housing are provided with vertical slots or guide-ways 26 in which the windingA shaft' 27 is adapted to operate. The shaft 27 is supported so as to be capable of moving vertically in the guide-ways by fiexible elements, such as chains 28, secured to the upper end ofthe housing in any suitable manner. The winding shaft 27 is provided with arms 29, to which the chains 28 are secured, thesexarms serving to increase the initial take-up of the shaft on rotation thereof. The shaft is also vprovided with a central arm 30 to which is secured a flexible element, such as achain 31, the other end of which is secure-d to the tension rod 13. The diameter of the shaft 27 and the length 'of thearms 29 and 30 are so proportioned that the take-up of the apparatus on one rotation or less of the shaft 27 is sufficient to remove`- all slack from the brake rigging, and to vset the brakes. The length of the train section 31 need only be sufcientto wind once around the shaft`27, although it is obvious that it may be longer,

if desired, and may take the place of rod 13.

It is to be noted, however, that the shorter the lengths of flexible chains and the like used in brake apparatus, the more certain .the operation of ,the brake, inasmuch as rigid elements, such as the ytension rod .13 -are not likely to be swayedout of place by 45 in engagement having a forked yend which engages'the j projection 32 on opposite .sides of the ratchet 33. Pivoted to the hand lever 34 is a pawl 36, the rear end 37 of which is made suiiiciently heavy to bring the forward end 38 into engagement with the ratchet, so that the shaft 27 may be rotated in a clockwise direction by an oscillation of the lever 34. The housing 24 may be provided with an open sided housing 39 covered at the top and adapted to protect the ratchet and pawl and other moving parts from the action of snow and ice' and cinders, and also to exclude such substances from entry into the housing 24 through the forwardv guide-way 26. When the hand lever 34 hangs freely downwardly the tail end 40 of the pawl 36 is adapted to engage the rear face 41 -of the housing 39 so as to withdraw the pawl from engagement with the ratchet for a purpose hereinafter described. If it is desired to dispense with the housing 39, a tripping surface which may be provided by the rear face 41 of the housing is employed to disengage the pawl from the ratchet. The outer wall 42 in conjunction with the collar 43 on the shaft serves to prevent any vsubstantial endwise movement of the shaft 27. The forward end ofthe shaft 27 is journaled in a block 44 adapted to slide vertically in the guide-way 26. A pawl 45 is pivoted to the block 44 and when in engagement with the ratchet 33 servesto prevent the rota-tion of the shaft 27 in counter-clockwise direction as shown in 'F ig. 3. A pivoted weight 46 having preferably the same pivbt as the pawl 45, serves, when'in' the position shown in Fig. 3, to hold. the pawl with the 'ratchet 33. When thrown over to the left so that the weight engages the lug 47 on the pawl 45, the weight is adapted to lift the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet 33, when pressure thereon is relieved. i A pin 48 projecting from the face ofthe housing 24 is adapted to engage a web 49 projecting from` the weight 46, when the same' is thrown over to the left, so as to return it to operative position, as shown in Fig. 3, when the shaft 27 reaches its lower position on release of the brakes.

Operation: The shaft 27 is rotated by an oscillation of the hand lever 34 and winds the chain 31 thereon, at the same time winding itselfV upon the chain 28 and rising in theguide-ways 26. The initial rotation produces a relatively great movement of the tension rod 13 and serves to remove alleslack from the brake rigging and to bring the.

brake shoes in contact with the wheels. Further rotation of the shaft winds the chains 28 and 31 around the relatively small shaft 27, resulting in a slow,'but powerful pull upon the tension rod 13. -The engagement of the pawl with the ratchet 33 prevents the release of the brakes.

The release of the brakes may be accomplished by a brakeman (standing preferably, upon the stub platform with one hand, the other hand being employed in grasping a handle to prevent his being accidentally' thrown from thecar. lThe weight 46- is first thrown over to the left so as to tend to raise the pawlf45 out of engage-ment with the ratchet 33. Pressure is then relieved 'from the pawl 45 by. a slight movement of the hand lever 35, permitting the weight 46 to withdraw the pawl 45. The hand lever is then permitted to fall, the engagement ofthe tail end 40. with the surface 41 withdrawing the pawl36 from engagement with the ratchet33. This disconnects the hand Vlever from the ratchet and permits the shaft to rotate in a reverse direction and unwind the chains, thus effecting a release ofthe brakes.. When the shaft 27 reaches its lowermost position, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the weight 46 strikes the pin 48 and is thrown over into operative position. as shown in Fig. 3. This effects an automatic resetting of the apparatus so that the brakes may be applied without any manual resetting of the apparatus.

li claim: l

1. ln combination with a railway car and its brakes, apparat-us for manipulating the brakes comprising a winding member of relatively small diameter having an arm extending therefrom, a Vexible element connected Cil with the brakes and with said arm so that, on rotation of the winding member, the fiexible element is given a movement of considerable amplitude through the swinging movemen-t of the arm and is then wound around the portion of the member which is of small diameter, means for rotating said` winding member and giving to the same a translatory movement, -and means sharing the translatory movement of the winding member for retaining the same in any desired position of rotation.

2. n combination with a railway car and its brakes, apparatus for manipulating the brakes comprising a housing secured to the car, a `winding member having arms extending therefrom, flexible connections secured to said housing and to said arms for support-ing said winding member ,and'adapted' to wind thereon, an operating lever lconnected with said winding member for rotating with thebrakes and having a flexible section, an arm on said winding member prothe same, .a tension rod connected.

jecting in the opposite direction from the first named arms and having said flexible section connected thereto, and lmeans associated with said housing and winding member for preventing the reverse rotation of the winding member.

3. In combination with a railway car and its brakes, apparatus for manipulating the brakes comprisinga supporting'means secured to the car and having vertical guideways therein, a winding shaft in said guideways and flexible means for supporting said shaft in said supporting means, a tension rod connected with the brakes and having a flexible section thereon connected with said shaft and adapted to wind thereon, means for rotatingsaid shaft, a block slidable in a guide-way associated with said shaft, and means for coupling said shaft to said block to prevent the reverse rotation thereof. v n

4. n combination with a railway car and its brakes, apparatus for manipulating the brakes comprising a supporting means se-v cured to the car and having vertical guideways therein, a winding shaft in said guideways and f'lexible means for supporting said shaft in said supporting means, a` tension rod connected with the brakes and having a fiexible section -thereon connected with said shaft and ada ted to wind thereon, means for rotating said shaft, a block slidablc in a guide-way associated with said shaft, means foi' coupling .said shaft to said block to pre-` vent the reverse rotation thereof and means for rendering said coupling means ineffective so as to permit the release of the brakes.

5., lin combination with a railway car and Y its brakes, apparatus for manipulating the brakes comprising a supporting Ameans secured to the car and having vertical guideways therein, a winding shaft in said guideways and flexible means for supporting said shaft in said supporting means, a tension rod connected with the brakes and having a flexible section thereon connected with said shaft and adapted to wind thereon, means for rotating said shaft,- a block slidable in a' guide-.way associated with said shaft, a ratchet on said shaft and a pawl on said block engaging said ratchet to prevent the reverse rotation of said shaft.

6. n combination with a railway car and its brakes, apparatus for manipulating the brakes comprismg a supporting means secured to the car and having vertical guidelio ways thereina winding shaft in said guideshaft and adapted .to wind thereon, `means for rotating said shaft, a block slidable in a guide-way associated with said' shaft, a ratchet on said shaft, a pawl on said block,

engaging said ratchet to prevent the reverse rotation of said shaft and means for rendering said pawl ineffective so as to permit the release of the brakes.

7. In combination with a railway car and its brakes, apparatus for manipulating the brakes comprising a supporting means secured ,to the car and having vertical guideways therein, a winding shaft in said guideways and flexible means for supporting said shaft in said supporting means, a tension rod connected with the brakes and having a flexible section thereon connected with said shaft and adapted to wind thereon, means for rotating said shaft, a bloc-k slidable in a guide-way associated with said shaft, a ratchet on said shaft, a pawl on said block engaging said ratchet to prevent the reverse rotation of said shaft, and a Weight to hold said pawl in engagement with said -ratchet which may be set to hold said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet so as to permit release of the brakes. A

8. In combination with a railway car `and its brakes, apparatus for manipulating the brakes comprising a supporting means secured to the car and having vertical guideways therein,a winding shaft in said guideways and flexible means for supporting said 'shaft in said supporting means, a tension rod connected with the brakes and having a exible section thereon connected with said shaft and adapted to wind thereon, means for rotating said shaft, a block slidable inl a guide-way associated with said shaft, a ratchet on said shaft and a pawl on said block engaging said ratchet to prevent the reverse rotation of said shaft, and a Weight pivoted to said block and adapted in one position to hold said pawl in engagement with the ratchet and in the other positionto tend to lift the same out of engagement with said ratchet so as to permit the release of the brakes.

9. In' combination With a railway car and its brakes, apparatus for manipulating the brakes comprising a housing secured to the car and having a vertical guide-Way-there- 1n, a slidableeblock in said guide-way, a Winding shaft having a ratchet thereon journaled in said block and sup orted in said housing by flexible means a apted to wind on said shaft, a tension rod connectedV with said brakes and having a flexible section connected with said shaft, means for rotating said shaft to set the brakes, a pawl on said block engaging said ratchet for preventing the reverse rotation of said shaft,

- and aweight pivoted on said block for engaging said pawl 'in one position to hold the same 1n engagement with said ratchet vand in another position to tend to force said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet so as to release the brakes.

10. In combination with a railway car and its brakes, apparatus for manipulating the brakes comprising a housing secured to the car and having a vertical guide-way therein, a slidable block in said guide-Way, a

Winding shaft having a ratchet thereon journaled in said block and supported in said housing by flexible means adapted to wind on said shaft, a tension rod connected with said brakes and' having a flexible section connected with said shaft, a hand lever having a pawl adapted to engage said ratchet for rotating said-shaft to set the brakes, a pawl on said block engaging said ratchet for preventing the reverse rotation of said l shaft, and a weight pivoted on said block for engaging said pawl in one position to .hold the same in engagement with', said in, a slidable block in said guide-way, a

winding shaft having a ratchet thereon journaled in said block and supported in said housing by flexible means adapted to wind on said shaft, a tension rod connected With saidshaft, a hand lever having a pawl adapted to engage said ratchet for rotating said shaft to set the brakes, a pawl on said block engaging said ratchet for preventing the reverse rotation of said shaft, a Weight pivoted on said block for engaging said pawl in one position to hold t'he same in engagement with said ratchet and in another position to tend to force said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet so as to release the brakes, and means for engaging said lever pawl to force the same out of engagement with said ratchet whereby the lever is disconnected from said shaft.

l2. In combination with a railway car and its brakes, apparatus for manipulating the brakes comprising a housing secured to` the car and having a vertical guide-way therein, a slidable block in said guide-way, a winding shaft having a ratchet thereon journaled in said block and supported in said housing by flexible means adapted to wind on said shaft, a tension rod connected with said brakes and having a flexible section connected with said shaft, a hand lever having a pawl adapted to engage said ratchet for rotating said shaft to set the brakes, a pawl on said block engaging said ratchet for preventingr the reverse rotation of said shaft, a Weight pivoted on said block for engaging said pawl in one position to hold the same in engagement with said ratchet and in another position to tend to force said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet so as to release the brakes, and

.gaged by said lever pawl when said lever and to said brakes, a pawl onsaid block for I 1s in one position to force said pawl pout of engagement with said ratchet `whereby the lever is disconnected from said shaft.

13. 1n combination with a railway car and its brakes, apparatus for manipulating the brakes comprising .a housing secured to the car and having a vertical guide-way therein, a slidable block in said guide-Way, a winding shaft having a ratchet thereon Ijournaled `in said block and supported in said housing by flexible means apted to wind on said shaft, a tension rod connected with said brakes and having a flexible section connected with said shaft, a hand lever having a pawl adapted to engage said ratchet for rotating said shaft to set the brakes, a pawl on said block engaging said ratchet for preventing the reverse rotation of saidk shaft, a weight pivoted on said block for engaging said pawl in one position to hold the same in engagement withsaid ratchet and in another position to tend' to force said pawl out of engagement withsaid ratchet so as to release the brakes, a tripping surface extending fromr said housing and adapted to be engaged by the opposite end of said lever pawl when saidlever is in one position to force said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet whereby the lever is disconnected from said shaft.

14. In combination with a railway car" and its brakes, apparatus for: manipulating the brakes comprisinga 'supporting means secured to the car and having vertical guide-ways therein, a winding shaft in said guide-ways and flexible means for supporting said shaft in said supporting means, a tension rod connected with the brakes and having a flexible section thereon connected with said shaft and adapted to wind thereon, means for rotating said shaft, a block slidable in' 'a guide-way associated with said shaft, a ratchet on said shaft, a pawl on said block for engaging said ratchet' to Aprevent the reverse rotation of said shaft, a weight to hold said pawl in engagement with said ratchet which may be Set to hold said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet so as to permit release of the brakes, and a projection on said housing ada ted to engage said weight when the bra es have been released to throw the same into operative engagement with said pawl..

15. In combination with a railway car and its brakes, apparatus for manipulating the brakes comprising a housing secured to the car and having vertical guide-ways therein, a slidable block in one guide-way, a winding shaft having a ratchet fixed thereto journaled in said block and supported in said housing by chains, a Aprojection extending from the winding surface of said shaft,

a tension chain connected to said projectionengaging said ratchet to prevent reverse rotation of the shaft, a hand lever having a pawl adapted to engage said ratchet for rotating said shaft to set the brakes, a pawl on said block engaging said ratchet for preventing the reverse rotation ofsaid shaft, a weight pivoted on said blockfor engaging said pawl in one position to hold the same in engagement with said ratchet and in another position to tend to force said pawlout of engagement with said ratchet so as to release the brakes, and means for engaging said lever pawl to force the same out of en gagement with said ratchet whereby the ever is disconnected from said shaft.

16. 1n combination with a railway car and its brakes, apparatus for manipulating the brakes comprising aA housing secured to the car and having vertical guide-ways therein, a slidable block in one guide-Way, a winding shaft having a ratchet fixed thereto journaled in said block and supported in said housing by chains, a chain connected to said shaft and to said brakes, a pawl o n said block for engaging said ratchet to prevent reverse rotation of the shaft, a hand lever having a pawl adapted to engage said ratchet lfor rotating said shaft to set the brakes, a pawl on said block engaging said ratchet for'preventing the reverse rotation of said shaft, a weight pivoted on said block for engaging said pawl in one position to hold the same in engagement `with said ratchet and in another position to tend to force said pawl out of engagement withsaid ratchet so as to release the brakes, and

means for engaging said lever pawl to force the same out of engagement with said ratchet whereby the lever is disconnected from said shaft,

17. lin combination with a railway car and its brakes, apparatus for manipulating the' brakes comprising a housing secured to the car and having vertical guide-ways therein, a slidable block in one guide-way, a winding shaft having4 a ratchet fixed thereto journaled in said block, arms projecting from the winding surface of said shaft, chainsconnected to said arms for supporting said shaft in said housing and a chain connected with an arm and with said f brakes, a hand lever having a pawl thereon engaging said ratchet for rotating said shaft whereby said chains are simultaneously wound on said shaft, a pawl on said block for engaging said nratchet for preventing the release of the brakes and a'weight pivoted to said block adapted to engage said pawl in one position to cause the same to engage said ratchet and in the other position to tend to disengage said pawl from said ratchet.

18. In combination with a railway car and its brakes; apparatus for manipulating'the- 5 ment connectedwith the brakes and the said j member, a flexible member connected with the housing and with sadAmember, means for rotating said Winding member and thus imparting a translatory movement thereto, and means sharing the transl'atory movement with the Winding member for retaining the same in any desired position of rota` tion.

AUGUSTUS F. KLASING. 

